Road building machine



Sept. 15, 1942.

J. N. HELTZEL ROAD BUILDING MACHINE Filed Dec. 14, 1939 I 1 I I MHI v m mh "W nuL "n Wu? out in the claims appended hereto. 1

Patented Sept. 15, 1942 UNITED STATESy PATENT OFFICE ROAD BUILDING MACHINE John N. 'Heltael, Warren, Ohio Application December 14, 1939, Serial No. 309,257

. y 3 Claims. (01. ss-ss) The present invention relates to road building machines and is a continuation in part of my prior similarly entitled application Serial No. 9114 flied March 2, 1935, which matured into Patent No. 2,190,562.

-The invention constitutes certain improvements over my prior p tent No. 1,996,153 granted April 2, 1935. The invention has for an object to provide a device for installing dowel rods, and more particularly aims to insure the correct position of the dowel rods with relation to the Joint and the holding of the dowel rods in correct alinement and position during the pouring of the concrete.

Another object of the invention is to provide I means for installing both dowel rods and shear Figure 2 is a perspective view of a road Joint and dowel rod installing device according to the present invention.

Referring more particularly to Figure 1, th right hand end of the machine i is the front thereof and the machine moves toward the right' in its forward movement. The wheels 2 roll upon the side forms 3 and the frame or carriage is propelled by a power plant. 4 carried thereby.

The driving connections from the power plant to the wheels are well known, form no part of the invention, and are therefore not illustrated. This power plant 4 may consist of the conventional gasoline or internal combustion engine and an electric generator for furnishing electric current for the electrical operation of the several devices carried by themachine. The main drive shaft is indicated at I and is arranged longitudinally of the frame or carriage I. It passes through the power plant 4 and extends both forwardly and rearwardly of the same. It will be noted that there isa forward screed and a rear screed, both such screeds being indicated at I. The screeds are, reciprocated laterally of the roadway in accordance with customary practice.

It is a still further object of the invention to provide an improved method and apparatus for the installing of dowel bars and/or shear plates, in which the dowel bars and'shear plates are subiected to vibration, beneficial alike to the inserts versely.

The invention also contemplates the provision of a unitary machine for performing various functions and embodying various instrumentalities of which one function and instrumentality is the dowel bar installing device and the means for placing it in and out of operation.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention will be more fully described hereinafter, 'and will be more particularly pointed in the drawing, wherein like symbols refer to like or corresponding parts throughout the severalviews. q

l 'igure l is a ticview of a road for supporting and moving the device ofl'igure z'and' It will be understood that suitable clutches ,of a conventional type are provided at appropriate points whereby the operation of the various implements actuated by the shaft I may beacontrolled by the operator.

At the forward end of the machine is mounted a tamper ll. This tamper is positioned on an angle of approximately 45 to the vertical. 'The tamper slides in guides II and is moved up" and down or actuated by the-eccentric I! carried upon the cross-shaft ll iournaled in bearings ll on'the frame I and driven from the drive shaft i by ppropriate searin The screeds or surfacers I rest upon the side forms 3 at the endportions of the sereeds. Such screeds or surfacers are held down on the side forms by the compression rollers II operated by the hand wheels I so as to prevent the screed or surfacer I from raising out of contact with the side forms 3 while the tamper J. is packing the road material under the screed.

when surfacing concrete it is desirable at times to install dowel rods or reinforcing after the machine moves forward the plow ll excavates the concrete for a suitable depth, say two or three inches, and of a width to accommodate the positioning of dowel rods 3!. The dowel rods maybe unreeled from a roll 20 of such dowel rods, the roll being'supported on the frame 5 in position to permit the dowel rods to pass down between the side wings of the plow i I and into the excavation made by such plow.

Deflector wings M are adjustably carried by the frame back of the plow. These wings converge rearwardly and act to restore the excavated road material over the installed dowel rods 89. Threaded rods and adjusting wheels 2i' are connected to the end portions of the wings 26 for raising and lowering the same. A series of rollers 22 are carried by the frame for depressing the road material progressively as the machine moves forward. The rollers 22 maybe carried by the threaded rods and hand wheels 22' for the purpose of adjusting the same to the proper elevation. These rollers may be of any number and grouped together in any desired arrangement.

The center roller 22 carries a groove cutting ring 22A to form a separation in the concrete along the longitudinal line of the joint, and to depress the dowel bars 99 down below the surface of the plastic concrete.

Rearwardly of the rollers 22 is a joint and dowel rod installing device indicated generally at 23, which is more particularly shown in Figure 2. The installer 23 is arranged for up and down adjustment on the frame by the hand wheels 26. Electric or other suitable vibrators 25 are carried by the installer 23.

It is at times desirable to vibrate the mass of concrete by internal vibration; also, to vibrate the steel reinforcing by internal vibration, This is accomplished by the traveling vibrating apparatus 26 which spans the roadway and travels on the longitudinal frame I of the machine by the rollers or wheels 21. This bar or carriage 26 supports a central series of internal vibrators 28 spaced at suitable intervals along the line of the bar 26, such vibrators being operated by electricity or by compressed air or in other suitable manner.

Centrally of the bar is a bridge piece 28 extending forwardly and rearwardly of the bar 26 and carrying the vibrators 28 in front of and behind the transverse line of vibrators 28. These vibrators 28 are arranged to contact steel reinforcing or the dowels l9, and for this purpose such vibrators 28 are formed with rounded runder-surfaces. The vibrating apparatus 26 may remain stationary while the carriage i moves forward to accomplish its other several functions, the wheels 2! permitting the frame I to slide beneath the same while such wheels 21 support the vibrating device 26.-

During all this time the vibrators 28 and 28 will remain in the mass of concrete and are operating upon such mass of concrete, being embedded in the concrete in a stationary position.

, After the machine i has advanced a distance aaeaesv At the rear portioniof the machine will be found the rear transversely-reciprocating screed l heretofore referred to. This screed I operates more particularly when the machine is being driven rearwards, for instance to the left in- Figure 1, although it may be used when the machine is driven to the right as a surfacing member.

The construction of Figure 1-is more particularly shown and described in my prior Patent No. 2,190,567.

- Referring more particularly to Figure 2, there is here illustrated the transverse joint installin apparatus 23, which consists generally of a transverse beam supported from the frame 9 and manipulated up and down by means of their wheels as which are connected to the threaded rods 2& threaded through the swivel blocks 25,"

such blocks having pivot studs 12% mounted in the frame 6. This beam is manipula up and down to force the joint strip 23 into the plastic concrete while the strip is held secureh in posh tion by the bladeit Arms Eli are carried bythe beam '23 for supporting the dowel rods W in position and spaced apart the required distance.

When the hand wheels 26 are operated to force the device down, the dowel rods move down in contactwith the plastic concrete and simultaneously one or more vibrators 25 are operated either electrically or by compressed air on other means to vibrate the joint strip 23* and dowel rods 5% down into the plastic concrete into position as indicated at He It will be understood that the apparatus is I simultaneously reciprocated by the eccentric 8b and the eccentric arm 39 which is pivoted at dd to the beam 23. The dowel rods may have slip sleeve members 4| which are commonly used in connection with expansion and contraction joints. Such apparatus may also be used for placing longitudinal joints in a roadway. The dowel rods also may be provided with shear plates 82. After the dowel rods and joint strips are forced down into the plastic concrete to the proper depth the vibrators 25 may be operated for a reasonable length of time to secure a complete solidification of the plastic concrete around the dowel bars and shear plates 42. The plates are intended to release the concrete from direct thrust oL the bars to the concrete. The dowel bars may be simply forced into the spring jaws 35 on the depending ends 35 of the arms 31.

It is obvious that various changes and modifications may be made in the details of construction and design of the above specifically described embodiment of this invention without departing from the spirit thereof, such changes and modifications being restricted only by the scope of the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a road building machine, a transverse joint installing member supported by the road machine, adjustable means between the road machine and the member to raise and lower said member, reciprocating means having a small throw connected to the member and operable from said machine to reciprocate the member to a slight extent, arms extending laterally from the member for holding dowel bars transversely to the member, and vibrating means on the member to vibrate the member and arms.

2. In a road building machine, a transverse joint installing member supported by the road machine, reciprocating means having a small range of movement connected to the member and operable from said machine to reciprocate the member to a slight extent, arms extending iat- -erally from the member for holding dowel bars transversely to the member, and vibrating means on the member to vibrate the member and arms.

3; In a. road building machine, a Joint installing member supported by the machine, means between the machine and member to raise and lower said member, means operable, from the from the member for holding dowel bars substantially transversely of the member, and vibrating means on the member to vibratethe member and arms.

JOHN N. ,HELTZEL. 

